The invention relates to an optical connector for guiding light from one optical fiber to another optical fiber and an optical tomographic imaging system using the optical connector and more particularly to an optical connector achieving a noncontact connection between light guiding optical fibers to guide light from one optical fiber to another optical fiber and an optical tomographic imaging system for irradiating an object to be measured with light to acquire an optical tomographic image from returning light reflected by the object under measurement.
Acquisition of a cross-sectional image of a sample under measurement such as biological tissue without cutting thereinto may be achieved using an optical tomographic imaging system employing optical coherence tomography (OCT) measuring.
The OCT measuring is a kind of optical interferometric measurement using the optical interference that occurs only when the optical path lengths of the measuring light and the reference light, into which the light from the light source is divided, are matched to within the coherence length of the light from the light source.
An optical tomographic imaging system using the OCT measuring is disclosed, for example, in JP 2000-131222 A, which comprises a light source; a first optical coupler for splitting the light emitted from the light source into measuring light and reference light; an optical scan probe including a measuring unit for irradiating the sample under test or the object under measurement with the measuring light and detecting the light reflected and returned therefrom, an optical fiber for transmitting the measuring light and the returning light, and a transparent sheath covering the optical fiber and the measuring unit; and a second coupler fox causing the reference light to interfere with the returning light both guided along the same optical path length as the measuring light; and an optical tomography system including a computing unit for detecting a tomographic image from the results of interference. With the optical tomographic imaging system disclosed in JP 2000-131222 A, which has the optical fiber in the measuring unit rotatably connected to an optical rotary joint, the measuring unit located close to the tip of the optical scan probe is inserted up to a position to be measured and rotated by turning the optical fiber to acquire a plurality of tomographic images of the object under measurement with its rotating measuring unit, thus reconstructing a two-dimensional sectional image.
The optical fibers for guiding returning light and reference light in the optical tomographic imaging system are formed by a plurality of optical fibers. The optical fibers (e.g., an optical fiber from a light source and an optical fiber from an optical coupler or an optical fiber from an optical coupler and an optical fiber from an optical probe) are optically connected by an optical connector. The optical connector places the end faces of optical fibers in contact to establish connection, ensuring light guiding with a high transmission efficiency.